Becoming a nose breather?

Hi Everyone, I'm also a CPAP newbie and wanted to get some advice from others that have gone down this path.

I am about 37 years old but have hypertension, so one of the things that my doctor thought might be the cause was sleep apnea. I did a sleep study and I have mild sleep apnea (6.1 AHI on my back, 3-4 on my sides and stomach.) The doctor normally said I wouldn't be a candidate for a CPAP machine but because I have hypertension, she recommends it.

So I have a ResMed AirSense 10 Auto and I told the gentleman that I wanted the most comfortable mask otherwise I probably wouldn't wear it. He recommended the Dreamwear Nasal Mask. Unfortunately the first night I tried it, I didn't realize how much I breathed through my mouth. Even after laying there for an hour or so, I still couldn't comfortably breath through my nose and ended up taking the whole thing off. My right nostril has a slightly deviated septum that sometimes makes it really hard to breath.

I'm in the process of having the company come back and do a FF mask, but I was wondering if there were suggestions here on how I can try to switch over to nose breathing. I read about maybe using breath right strips, or nasal spray before going to bed? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Do you breathe through your nose during the day?

They tend to push full face masks on all new patients.
Many patients end up using nasal or nasal pillow masks.
-----But they always have a $pare full face.
Some folks love them ---the rest of us do fine without them.

Miss Emerita wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 9:59 am

Do you breathe through your nose during the day?

I never really thought about it until I got the machine, but I breathe through my nose generally 70% of the time. I usually use my mouth for deeper breathes. Right now, I'm breathing through my nose for like a minute or two then I'm using my mouth to take a deep breath - I've been repeating this for the past hour.

Nordo wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:40 am

Hi Everyone, I'm also a CPAP newbie and wanted to get some advice from others that have gone down this path.

welcome to the zoo!

here are two things to try in conjunction. get a foam cervical collar. this will help keep your jaw from dropping. can be found here-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D3 ... =UTF8&th=1

it doesn't have to be that one. there are many on amzon through a range of prices. just picked that to show you what one looks like.

i use one of those and also, i use scunicis-

viewtopic/p1089718/viewtopic.php?f=1&t= ... s#p1086296

these things have helped cut down my ahi and gently lead me down the path of nose breathing.

good luck!

I think if you do a fair amount of nose breathing during the day, it’s worth your while to persevere with the nasal mask. Zonker mentions a collar and his patented (right, Zonker?) Scunci method. One additional thought: tape to hold your lips closed. A lot of people have good luck with multiple strips of micropore tape; myself, I do best with Somnifix.

One other thing: try positioning your tongue up against your palate so it creates a seal. I’m still working on this, but it definitely gets easier with practice, which you can do during the day as well as the night.

I thought I was a mouth breather, but it was likely due to "air hunger". If you are noticing mouth breathing is there a chance that a ramp is set for your machine and when the pressure's low you don't feel that you are getting enough air? Or is the data showing a lot of mouth breathing after you fall asleep?

In any case, if your nose is clear and you can breathe through it that much during the day, practice might work. Put your tongue up to the roof of your mouth, and your teeth should be barely touching. Try to do that all day, every day when you aren't talking or eating. You may find that consistent practice during the day will work at night. If you need aids like a cervical collar or mouth taping, you may only need them for a short time. Or not.

OTOH, having a FF mask around for when you get a cold or allergies is a good idea. But FF masks are a PITA! They have so much surface area to seal that it's very hard to control leaks, they are difficult to find a comfortable adjustment. I use one when I have a stuffed nose, but I'm always so happy to go back to my Dreamwear.

Welcome!

Nordo wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:40 am

My right nostril has a slightly deviated septum that sometimes makes it really hard to breath.

"makes it really hard to breathe"

Please have a consultation and examination with an ENT as soon as possible. You have many years of life left. There is no good reason to continue with this problem.

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 1:32 pm

Welcome!

Nordo wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 8:40 am

My right nostril has a slightly deviated septum that sometimes makes it really hard to breath.

"makes it really hard to breathe"

Please have a consultation and examination with an ENT as soon as possible. You have many years of life left. There is no good reason to continue with this problem.

Thanks everyone for the help. The DME sent someone over with an AirTouch F20 and that seems to be working better, but I still have my Dreamwear so I'll try getting back to that. I'll probably try both and see what my results are using OSCAR.

Actually an ENT was the one who told me about my nose about 10 years ago. I had an ear issue that he was looking at and when he looked at my nostrils, he said "You must have a hard time breathing from your right nostril." And I said, "I don't think I've ever noticed." We actually talked about surgery as an option, but he said that if it really hasn't been bothering me, then he wouldn't recommend surgery. Maybe it's time that I go back and see an ENT.

Hi Nordo ~~~

I agree with ChicagoGranny that you should not have to live with this deviation if it can be fixed.

Many people also use a boil and bite mouthgaurd. I was unable to tolerate those as they were just too bulky but I have custom slim silicone retainers made by my dentist / orthodontist. They are intended to keep my teeth straight but for me they are just "grippy" enough and fit together well enough that it's just part of my dreamwear mask nowadays. I actually can't sleep without them now. I think they may keep my jaw just marginally pushed forward in to the best position which is an added benefit.

I think the invisalign braces are pretty much the same thing. If you also wanted to do any teeth straightening as a bonus.

Good Luck, Nordo. There are some amazing people here who have really made CPAP work for them.

I can attest that cpap has been wonderful for me.

Nordo wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 28, 2019 11:53 am

Actually an ENT was the one who told me about my nose about 10 years ago. I had an ear issue that he was looking at and when he looked at my nostrils, he said "You must have a hard time breathing from your right nostril." And I said, "I don't think I've ever noticed." We actually talked about surgery as an option, but he said that if it really hasn't been bothering me, then he wouldn't recommend surgery. Maybe it's time that I go back and see an ENT.

The good news is ENTs have refined surgical methods during the intervening 10 years.

Thanks everyone for the advice and help. While I work on some of the other angles (like seeing an ENT), I actually switched over to the Dreamwear Full Face mask. The F20 just wasn't working for me. Can anyone advise if the large leaks are an issue in my Oscar graph below? I feel like everything feels pretty good, but I think the LLs might be an issue.

bump

Are those leaks waking you up at all?
Is this a pretty typical leak night for you or is this the worst it gets or the best?
It's not a real pretty leak graph but I have let worse slide as long as it doesn't wake me up.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:22 am

Are those leaks waking you up at all?
Is this a pretty typical leak night for you or is this the worst it gets or the best?
It's not a real pretty leak graph but I have let worse slide as long as it doesn't wake me up.

Hi Pugsy, they are not waking me up and it was pretty typical, but the last couple nights have been pretty good. Thanks everyone for the help!